NYC Law Firm Accused of Running “Intern Mill” in Class Action Lawsuit

A NYC law firm is being accused of labor violations and running an “intern mill,” says LA employment lawyer Eric Grover.

04/04/2013 // Los Angeles, CA, USA // Keller Grover LLP (Press Release) (Blog) // Eric GroverCleaning offices, stuffing envelopes, and 40-plus hour work weeks are the reasons why a NYC law firm is being accused of labor violations as a result of allegedly running an “intern mill.” The law states that in order to employ interns you must provide them an “educational experience,” as well as not hiring them in place of regular employees. If you’re an intern and the scenario above is painfully familiar, contact an employment lawyer to fight for your right to an educational experience.

In what could be the first-ever unpaid-internship lawsuit filed on behalf of aspiring attorneys, a New York City law firm is being accused of being an intern mill amid the ongoing debate over the legality of unpaid internships. A class-action lawsuit in New York alleges that the Portela Law Firm, a relatively low-profile operation in Manhattan, violated labor laws by providing no educational experience for its unpaid interns and failing to compensate them for what was essentially grunt work.
Law Office Or Intern Mill? Class-Action Suit Against NYC Law Firm Expands Ongoing Unpaid Internship Debate